The departure of Nitin Patel, the chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India‘s (BCCI) Sports Science wing, might be a blow to the new Centre of Excellence. In addition to managing workload and injuries, he has been instrumental in the rehabilitation of both domestic and international cricket players. Patel will soon be departing the recently constructed facility in Bengaluru.
Patel has previously been the Indian team’s and the Mumbai Indians’ physiotherapist. By the end of this month, he may depart the Bengaluru center, which was once the National Cricket Academy (NCA), as he is now serving his notice period. It is acknowledged that in order to identify Patel’s successor, the BCCI would publish an advertisement.
Patel has some crucial duties, namely managing the workload and rehabilitating international cricket players. He has been collaborating closely with VVS Laxman, the director of the Centre of Excellence. He has directly managed the recuperation and care of key international players since joining the NCA/Centre of Excellence in April 2022.
After three years at the center, Patel oversaw a number of foreign players, including KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Jasprit Bumrah. He was keeping an eye on Mohammed Shami’s recovery till recently. Shami recovered from a serious injury and performed admirably in the Champions Trophy 2025.
He is currently overseeing Bumrah’s rehabilitation after he suffered a back injury in January and has been sidelined from competitive cricket. The seasoned bowler will not play in the Mumbai Indians’ opening Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 matches.
Nitin Patel was the first person the BCCI picked to lead the recently established Sports Science division.
The BCCI established the facility, sometimes known as a high-performance center, in response to players suffering injuries on occasion. Patel was a key player in the facility, which was opened in September and was the vision of former BCCI secretary and current ICC President Jay Shah. Since many Indian players like the way he plays, the latter is very well-liked by them.
Earlier this month, in Dubai, the Indian squad took home the 2025 Champions Trophy. Now, the players are getting ready for the IPL 2025, which starts on Saturday, March 22. India will begin their campaign in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 cycle with a five-match Test series against England.
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